3What makes an effective plenary?
Plenaries, whether they happen during the lesson or at the end, should:
- occur at a strategic moment in the teaching sequence;
- draw together the learning of the whole group and the individual;
- summarise and take stock of learning so far;
- consolidate and extend learning;
- direct pupils to the next phase of learning;
- highlight not only whathas been learned but also howit has been learned;
- help determine the next steps in learning.
Plenaries need to be planned as part of the planned learning episodes
(spontaneous plenaries tend to be less effective). They should link carefully to the
objectives, outcomes and success criteria of the lesson as a whole.
As with starters, active, engaging, challenging and well-paced learning can be
achieved in plenaries through:
- carefully planned tasks;
- planned management and organisation of the classroom;
- use of appropriate interactive teaching skills.
Again, the tasks in this section follow this sequence of development for planning
and teaching plenary activities.
Planning the plenary activity
When planning the plenary activity, first consider its purposes – there are likely to
be several in any one lesson. Then choose a task that will involve all pupils in
actively processing any relevant information from the lesson. Finally, consider the
interactive teaching skills you need ‘at your fingertips’ in order to shape and
develop a successful plenary.
As with starters, plenaries can be used for a range of different purposes.
They can enable you to:
- review the lesson’s objectives – taking stock of what the class has covered in a
task or a sequence; - be diagnostic – assessing both individual and collective learning as well as
progress, in order to plan accordingly; - recognise and value the achievements of individuals and the class;
- stimulate interest, curiosity and anticipation about the next phase of learning.
They can enable your pupils to:
- remember what has been learned;
- crystallise their thoughts about what has been learned;
12 | Key Stage 3 National Strategy|Pedagogy and practice
Unit 5: Starters and plenaries
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DfES 0428-2004